Card Captor Sakura

When I went to Katsucon in February, I ended up cosplaying as Sakura from Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles for a panel I was a part of.   On this trip, despite all the things that happened, for better or worse, I was recommended to watch the anime that Sakura her self was originally a part of. Now, I had known that there was an anime called Card Captor Sakura by seeing crossover parodies of it on youtube, but I had not been originally interested in it due to the fact that it was seventy episodes long. However, the guys in the panel convinced me to watch it, and I am honestly glad I did.

The plot for Card Captor Sakura is pretty decent for a magical girl show. Kinomoto Sakura stumbles upon the Book of the Clow, which holds these magical cards that have a variety of abilities, from Fire to Dash, and she accidentally releases the cards from the book. However, she is given the card Windy at first to help her retrieve the cards, and with the Guardian of the Clow, Keroberos, help. Along the way, she meets a boy by the name of Syaoran who is also after the Clow Cards, and they eventually team up trying to retrieve all of the cards before they wreak havoc on the world.

The characters in this were actually pretty decent. Our lead, Sakura, is sometimes an air head, and by no means perfect, which makes for a changing character. She displays a lot of traites for a fourth grade girl, such as love interest, even though it isnt typical for a fourth grade girl to fall in love with a high schooler, the dislike of school work and wanting to play, but she also displays the mentality of when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Her friend, Tomoyo, who accompanies her on the card retrieval missions, videotapes her and make out fits, and the interactions between her and Sakura are quite interesting, but she to me is a stacitc character for most of the series. Syaoran Li is one of the most interesting characters in the cast, to perfectly honest. He goes from this little brat who is stalked by his fiancee, Meilin, to a strong independent boy who can let his soft side through a bit. Meilin was a character that was introduced mid season, but when I first saw her in the anime, she honestly annoyed me, but as time went on, she became quite the decent character. The highschoolers in the cast, Yukito, Sakura's love interest for majority of the series, and Touya, Sakura's older brother, are ever present during the beginning, especially Yukito, but while they might not be too important during the beginning, their roles steadily become more important as the show goes on.

The art for this series was pretty decent, considering the anime started in 1998 and ended in 2000. One of my biggest quelms about the animation in this anime is the fact that they reused some of the animation, such as Sakura putting on her gloves to go skating, and even the whole her skating to school sequence was reused a few times. One of the odd things about Card Captor Sakura from most magical girl anime was the fact it did not have a transformation sequence. Her outfit changed every time she went to capture a card because Tomoyo made the outfits for her. I did like the art style of Card Captor Sakura because it reminded me of how far anime art style has come, and even though they reused some sequences of the anime, I did not mind because they did not feel forced into the show; they felt completely natural.

The plot overall was a decent point of the anime. It actually came in two parts: Sakura capturing the clow cards and becoming the master of the Clow Cards, and the part where she becomes the master and has to figure out a way to use the cards that are now hers insteadof belonging to Clow Reed, the original owner of the cards. The first half was fantastic, even though in the beginning of the anime felt like it was moving too fast for itsown good. The second half the anime like it was tacked on last minute and it felt like the writers were just trying to give Sakura something to do to make a show. 

Overall, despite its flaws, I was still glad it was recommended to me.  It sometimes felt like it was magical girl, but also that it wasn't due to there were no set transformation sequences.If you haven't seen this yet, I highly recommend it.

Doki Doki Precure

The magical girl genre, or mahou shoujo,  has always been a weakness of mine, Between the transformations,the fantasy elements presented in it, and the super powers, it has a lot in store for me. Usually, I love any magical girl,no question, but as it seems lately, they seem to be prettier for sure, but at what cost? Doki Doki Precure is very pretty to the eyes, but all it not glitter and roses with this anime.



Doki Doki Precure is like any other magical girl series plot wise.You have your group leader, Aida Mana, and your side Precures, Hishikawa Rikka, Kenzaki Makoto, aka Makopi, and Yotsuba Alice, and later on Madoka Aguri. Granted along the way, you have ultimate big bad guy, King Selfish, and his not so evil at times daughter, Regina, and the evil trio of Ira, Bel, and Mammo, but besides Regina and King Selfish himself, the rest just play the role of making the bad guy of the week appear, so in other words, a completely normal day in the life of mahou shoujo anime. 

The main focus of the any Precure series is indeed it characters,which in this series becomes a horrendous mistake.The mistake of which I am referencing is Aida Mana. In the early episodes, you can tell she has a pure heart and wants to do good, and that she is the center, but this become problematic later on. Throughout the series, you see that each of the characters has their own little flaws, which for the most part are forgotten as the series progresses, but as for Aida Mana, she is shown to have no flaws. She is student council president, she is athletic and she wants to do good, which isn't all bad,but it makes her into a static character. The other three Precures have their own little episodes, but any character development from these episodes, unless it's wanting to make friends with Regina, the daughter of the main villain, is almost completely ignored like the flaw didn't even exist in the first place.  Also, the anime seemsto have seemingly pointless side characters,such as Ai, the little baby found in an egg, and Joe,Queen Ange's fiance, who for the most of the series is not even present.

The art for this anime was its only saving grace honestly. The characters were well drawn out and the animation for the most part was decently smooth. Along with that, the transformation sequences were also very well done, but I, like most people, probably would have been disappointed other wise. The back ground characters emphasize the main cast by all having black hair in contrast to the pink hair or Mana,or the purple hair of Makoto.

Overall, Doki Doki precure is really only worth the watch if you are really into Precure or magical girl anime or have some time to kill. It started out with a whole lot of promise to be a decent magical girl anime in the beginning, but as the series went on, it felt like it could not sustain its self. Compared to the other Precure series, this one is weak and hopefully on the next series, they will be able to polish out the flaws. 

HeartCatch Precure

After seeing the Suite Precure series, I naturally became curious in the franchise that was the Precure. In case you didn't know, the Precure series spans out to seven different series, each standing independently  of each other. After I saw Suite Precure, I decided to check out the series that came before it, Heartcatch PreCure. How did it compare to Suite Precure?

The story is basic: Hanasaki Tsubomi and her family have just moved the little town of Kibougahana, where Tsubomi's grandma resides. Soon after moving there, she starts to have dreams about Cure Moonlight being destroyed in order to protect the Heart Tree.  On a walk one day, tumbling out of the sky come Shypre and Coffret, two little fairies who protect the Heart Tree, the source of people's happiness in the world, and their description matches Tsubomi's dream. They then make her into a Precure in order to fight the Desertrian, a monster made from people's wilting Heart Flowers, due to negative feelings. Along with her best friend, Kuromi Erika, Cure Blossom and Cure Marine take charge and fight for the sake of people's heart flowers.

The plot for this anime is pretty decent for a fourty-nine episode mahou shoujo series. True, in every episode there was not character development, but it still was an enjoyable watch. Also, the story needed to move a bit better, and maybe need a bit more explaination, however, it also explained some stuff rather well.

The art for the anime was actually what drove me away from it when it first aired, I will admit. It looked sloppy, a bit odd, and washed out, but once I started watching, the art steadily grew on me. Each character was distinguishable, and well drawn and it wasn't washed out at all, just very, very bright. The expressions were also well ddrawn, and when they went into shock, it also showed the thick lines, and added well to the effect. The magical girl transformations were also well drawn, and colorful, and didn't take too long like they do in other magical girl anime, but they still could have cut down on the time it took.

As for the characters, the are either the strong point in the anime, or the weak point, depending on you point of view. They are the strong point due to the fact the main characters are well distinguished, and drive the plot well. However, the side characters are bland, and they maybe come up for one episode. The main cast is not with out its weak points: they are just too damn happy. The main cast fights against negative emotions with happiness, sure, but I do feel like they are just blindly fighting sometimes. For a while, their motives were questioned, but we never get a definite answer besides the whole"We are Precure. We are trying to do the world good. We will stop all negative emotions and depression because we are good!" speech.

Overall, I enjoyed this anime a lot, even to the point of marathoning it. As a mahou shoujou, it was refreshing and cute, and even a bit strange, however, it was a good watch.The art was stunning, and the opening and closing songs were catchy and cutesy and matched the tones of the anime very well. I would recommend this anime to anyone who loves mahou shoujou and/or just cutesy anime in general.

Suite Precure♪

As you have probably figured out, I am a sucker for mahou shoujo,or magical girl, anime. When I heard that a magical girl anime was coming out, at the time I was stoked to be honest. It turned out that this anime would combine a few things I really, really loved: Magical Girl, Anime, and music.

Our story follows Houjou Hibiki, an out-going athletic girl, and Minamino Kanade, a girl who likes to cook, and they're both residents of Kanon Town, a town filled with music. Music makes this town thrive, and all of its residents appreciate music to its fullest extent, and it fills the Residents with joy. In Major Land, there is a music score called "The Legendary Score" which can be used to create the Melody of Happiness brings people happiness and joy, but the residents of Minor Land want to drive the world in sorrow with the Melody of Sorrow. Hibiki and Kanade meet up with Hummy, a cat from Major land, and Hummy makes them into the legendary warriors known as the Precure.

The story ine was like any typical mahou shoujo in my mind, though it had its own unique spin. Every episode was episodic and not at the same time. Yes, they do beat a Negatone every episode, and yes it seems they don't really get any where for a while, but the story does pick up half way through the anime. How can this be? A mahou shoujo, aimed at kids, with a story? That can't be possible right? Wrong. It really does get to a point to where you have to watch every episode or else it will not make sense, because new things are revealed about the characters, and they resolve things. It's not Tokyo Mew Mew where everything is resolved in the last four episodes, no, this anime made good use of its fourty-eight episodes and put those to work.


As with long going anime, you have the potential for a huge cast list. Though the cast for the Suite Precure was modestly big, they kept the focus on where is should be: with our heroines. Yes, you do add characters as you go on, and that's to be expected. They do a great job in portraying our heroines friendship and the flaws in it. Our Precure do double in number, so more mahou shoujo for the veiwers. However, I do wish they explained one thing and made it clear: Is Hummy a boy or a girl?

One of the things that always got me about this series is the fact that they portray "happy" music as "good" and sad music as "bad." I think that just because something sounds like it is from the heavens doesn't automatically make it "good," nor does music that has a sad tone to it make it "bad." According to this anime, does that mean metal is "bad," and that mellow music is "bad?" I know this show is aimed at kids, and I am willing to accept that, but still, this message that "happy" music is "good" is a bit old.

The condition of which the girls transform I will admit, is a bit odd. They have to be in "unison" and they have to fight together. They have to be in line with each other, and they basically have to be the "perfect friends." While, yes, this does promote friendship, I think they are over doing it just a bit. Hibiki and Kanade were best friends, until a mistake happened, and then they became Precure and had to do everything unison. Yes, I agree that people should be friends, and best fiends are close, but the extent they take this to, it almost makes it look like they are helpless alone.

The art for anime was really upbeat and colorful. The characters were well drawn, and the Precure outfits were adorable, and very mahou shoujo like. The transformation sequences were all well done, and htey added flair to the anime. Although like all mahou shoujo anime, the transformation sequences are recycles, they still did a good job with them. The end credits were a bit interesting, with having 3D Precure dancing to the end theme.

The musical track was very well done. The opening theme was catchy, and I will admit to humming it under my breath a lot. The end theme was equally catchy, and to boot, it had a well choreographed dance to it. Along with the opening and end themes, the background track was also pretty good, and it fit just about every  mood.

Overall, I will admit that I am sucker for mahou shoujo anime, and Precure was just right up my ally. I do recommend this anime to any fan of mahou shoujo anime like Tokyo Mew Mew and this proves an interesting watch for anyone.

Nanatsuiro Drops

We are all victims of circumstance. Whether we like it or not, we are all drawn into circumstances that we originally had nothing to do with, and for better or worse we stick through them. In anime, these circumstances usually have magical properties and usually involve the main girl changing into a mahou Shoujo and her partner collecting something needed in order to accomplish a great task. In the story of Nanatsu-Iro Drops, or Seven Colored Drops, Akihime Sumomo strives to save the little stuffed animal that she met.

The story is a basic mahou shoujo with a bit of the twist: The main boy, Tsuwabaki Masaharu, accidentally takes a magic potion that turns him into a stuffed animal by night. In order to turn him back into a human, he has to go to the chosen girl and she must collect the seven moon drops and if he takes it, he can return to normal. Also, Tsuwabaki can not tell the chosen girl his identity.The girl, is Akihime Sumomo, a shy girl who has a fear of water and cries easily. With Yuki-chan's help, Tsuwabaki's identity when he is the stuffed animal, they gather the Seven Drops, and hopefully return him back to normal.

The characters were very well done, and the main cast was very well done. The main characters are very distinguishable from each other, and well developed  and the relationships between the characters was very well done. You can sort of feel the akward love between Akihime and Tsuwabuki and the closeness between Akihime and her best friend, Nako. Also, you can tell the competitiveness and jealousy Aspalas, Akihime's competitor in getting the Seven Color Drops. The side characters I will admit, kind of blend, and the kind of just are there for filler. They just sit there and try and push Akihime and Tsuwabuki together, and yes their plan succeeds, though I think with out them, the story would have gone on just fine.

Another thing I would like to note is the magical element. Until about episode 3 or 4, she really didn't have a set transformation sequence, and she had to manually change into the outfit. Also, it wasn't until the latter half or so of the series that magic started playing a major role in the hunt for seven color drops. Though the constant use of magic allowed for some interesting circumstances, and the gaining of the recipes leads to some amazing development of Sumomo. But for some reason, I feel like the magical girl element was not fully there, but still prominent enough to call this anime a magical girl anime.

The art in Seven Colored Drops is very shoujo like, i.e. the big eyes that take up half their faces, and the girls usually came off as lolis. It was fluid and smooth, and there was a bit of derpy-ness in the eyes sometimes, but that is normal. The magical girl outfits of Aspalas and Sumomo were well done, and the main cast was distinguishable. The side characters on the other hand looks like they were just cookie cutter characters, and, honestly, they just sort of blended

Overall, this anime is decent. It has its ups and downs, and when you think that's it, there is more. It almost makes you wonder why the magical girls go through so much, though it doesn't explain it all the way though. I reccomend this to any mahou shoujo fan, and even to those that aren't, this would make an excellent first mahou shoujo anime for the fact that it isn't overly drawn out like Tokyo Mew Mew and Sailor Moon. So in your search for a good anime, may you find the Seven Colored Drops.